Residential suburbs to be protected from development

Sweeping changes to Victoria's planning controls will see residential neighbourhoods protected from development.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy says the changes will give certainty to residents and developers across the state.

Under the changes, there will be three planning zones.

The neighbourhood zone will have caps on the size and height of homes where no new high rise development will be allowed.

"It means certain residential areas would be off limits to any form of development except for the style of development that exists there at the time," Mr Guy said.

He says areas that will be protected include cul de sacs, small streets and neighbourhood areas with environmental significance.

The general zone will allow modest growth, including smaller blocks and dual occupancy.

Most new development, including high density housing, will be promoted in a residential growth zone, near shopping strips or railway stations.

Mr Guy says the changes will end uncertainty.

"That will give Victorians a lot of clarity in planning structure that the kind of city we're building in the future is one that does have areas for high rises, but also has areas which can be and will be protected," he said.

Mr Guy says the changes are intended to protect the character of Melbourne.

'We need to protect that. Not everywhere should be a development site," he said.

"The planning system, for the last ten years has allowed every part of the city to be a development site. That is not appropriate.

"That's why the Government is going to clearly identify areas that will change and areas that will not."

Melbourne's Lord Mayor Robert Doyle applauds the changes but says people must be allowed to appeal.

"While you're streamlining and bringing certainty, there's got to be the ability for people to stand up and say, "well I think you've got this wrong, here's why," he told ABC local radio.

"As long as it's preserving that appeal right, then I think any streamlining and any protection of neighbourhood amenity is a good thing."